Holder for sifter-top cans



April 4,-1944. A BnF. HAMToN-r AL IHOLDER FOR sFTER-TOP CAN AFiled July25, 1941 Patented Apr. 4, 1944 HOLDER FCR SIFTER-TOP CAN S Bertis F.Hamilton, Earl F. Hamilton, William S. Hamilton, Columbus, Ind.

and Clarence 0. Hamilton,

Application July 25,1941, Serial No. 463,980

5 Claims.

It is the object of our invention to produce a holder adapted to containa can of scouring powder or other material dispensed or distributed by asifting operation. More specifically, it is our object to produce aholder adapted to contain cans which, within limits, vary in size, toprovide a holder which will not retain any water that might happen toenter it, and to provide a holder from which empty cans can readily beremoved and into which full cans can easily be inserted.

In carrying out our invention, we form a shell of sheet-metal, making itsomewhat larger in dimensions than the largest can which it is toreceive and preferably making it `generally square in cross-section. Theholder is provided with a top, desirably in the form of a separatepiece, which is permanently secured to the upper end of the holder-bodyand which is provided with a central opening large enough to expose allthe sifter holes in the top of the can. To hold a can in place Withinthe holder, we pivot on one side of the holder a spring-element adaptedto be swung between a position in which it lies beneath a can and aposition in which it lies outside of the holder to permit a can to beinserted or removed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention: Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the holder with portions of the side wall thereof brokenaway; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the holder; Fig. 3 is a bottom planview; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section parallel to the frontface of the holder.

The body I of the holder is formed of sheetmetal and is desirablygenerally square in crosssection. At the upper end of the holder-bodyIll there is provided a top VI I which has a central opening I2 largeenough to expose sifter holes in the top I3 of the can I4 which theholder is to receive. The material of the holder-top II at the peripheryof the opening I2 is depressed, as indicated at I I in Fig. 1, to engagethe top I3 of the can I4 at a distance spaced inwardly from itsperiphery in order to provide clearance for the bead I5 at the upper endof the can. Conveniently, the top II and body I (I of the holder interltwith each other telescopically and are secured together, as by theformation of interengaging beads I6 extending throughout the peripheryof the can-body.

To retain a can in position within the holder, we employ a retainerformed of spring wire and adapted, when a can is in position in theholder, to extend across the open bottom of the latter and exert on thecan I4 an upward pressure holding it in contact with the top II. Whilethe retainer 2li may take various forms, we prefer the form illustratedin the drawing. There the retainer is shown as formed of a single pieceof spring wire having an intermediate portion 2I which is rotatablyreceived in a suitable bearing 22 on the back wall of the holder-bodyI0. At the ends of the intermediate portion the wire is bent forwardlyto form arms 23. As is clear from Fig. 3, each of the arms is bent intoa V-shape with the depth of the V being considerably greater than halfthe length of the intermediate portion 2I, so that the center portionsof the arms overlap and the apices of the Vs are spaced apart. At itsfree end, each arm 23 is formed into a ring 24 adapted to engage above abead 25 at a front corner of the holder-body lll.

Each arm 23 is so formed that the distance across the open end of the Vis considerably greater than the width ofthe holder-body, as indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 3, with the result that when the retainer is inplace across the lower end of the holder-body each arm 23 will bestressed in its plane and the rings 24 will bear resiliently against thewalls of the holder-body above the bead 25. The plane in which eachV-shaped arm 23 lies is at an angle to the intermediate portion A2| asshown in Fig. 4, so that when the retainer is in place the apices of theVs will be materially higher than the intermediate portion 2| or therings 24 and, with no can in the holder, will be spaced from thedepressed portion II oi the top II by a distance somewhat less than theshortest can the holder is to contain. Thus, when a can is in place, theplane of each arm will be rotated toward the horizontal, the wire willaccordingly be stressed, and the apices of the Vs will bear resilientlyupward on the bottom of the can to hold the top of the can iirmly inContact with the depressed portion II' of the holder-top. The resilienceof the arms, which permits depression of the apices of the Vs in themanner ust described, allows cans of different lengths to be receivedand firmly retained in the holder. Fig. 4 shows, in dotted lines, theposition of the arms 23 when a relatively short can is in the holder.

To remove a can from the holder the thumb and one nger are insertedrespectively into the rings 24 and such rings are forced diagonallyinward of the holder to free them from engagement above the bead 25.Thereupon, the retainer can be swung downwardly to the dotted-lineposition illustrated in Fig. l and the empty can removed. To put a newcan in place in the holder, the can is inserted upwardly through thebottom of the holder with the retainer in the dotted-line position shownin Fig. 1, and the retainer is then swung upwardly into the full-lineposition illustrated in Fig. 1 with the rings 2d engaging above the bead25 and with the apices of the V-shaped arms 23 bearing resilientlyagainst the can-bottom and forcing the can upwardly to hold its top I3rmly against the depressed center portion I l of the holder-top Il.

While the two arms 23 act in common to retain a can in position, it isto be noted that each arm is in itself a retainer. It is further to benoted that since the point of engagement of each arm with the can-bottomis olset laterally from a line joining the ends of the arm the arm doesnot act as an arch in supporting the can and the weight ofthe cantherefore has little if any tendency to spread the sides of theholder-body apart.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a holder for sitter-top cans, such holder having an open-bottomedbody adapted to rel.

ceive a sitter-'top can, and a top provided with a central opening toexpose the sifter holes in the sifter-top can, -a resilient retainingmember for holding the can upwardly against the holder-top, saidretaining member being formed of a single piece of spring wire having anintermediate portion pivotally attached to one side of said holderbodynear the bottom thereof and arms rigid with saidinterniediate portionand adapted to extend across the open-bottom of the holder body intoassociation with the opposite side thereof, said holder 'body beingprovided with `a shoulder above which the free ends of said armsengage,`the'distance of the free ends of the `arms :from said intermediateportion being greater than the width of the holder-body whereby the'arms will be stressed when in position, each of ysaid arms intermediateits ends being oiiset laterally and upwardly to provide portions bearingresiliently against the bottom of a can in the holder.

2. In a holder for sifter-top cans, such holder having an open-bottomedIbody adapted to receive a sifter-top` can, Aand a top provided with-acentral opening to expose the sifter holes in the sifter-top can, aresilient retaining member for holding the can upwardly against theholder-top, said retaining member being formed of a single piece ofspring wire -having an intermediate portion pivotally attached to oneside of said holderbody near the bottom thereof and arms rigid with saidintermediate portion and adapted to extend across the open-bottom of theholder body into association with the opposite side thereof, said holderbody being provided with a shoulder above which the free ends of saidarms engage, each of said arms being V-shaped in plan and being soformed that their apices overlap and are higher than said intermediateportion and shoulder whereby to bear resiliently against the bottom of acan in.the holder `when the retainer is in position.

3. In a holder for sifter-top cans, such holder l having anopen-bottomed body adapted to receive a sitter-top can, and a topprovided with a central opening to expose the sifter holes in thesitter-top can, a unitary retaining member formed throughout ofresilient material for` holding the can upwardly ragainst theholder-top, said retaining member extending across the open bottom ofsaid holder-body, one end of said retaining member being pivotallyconnected on a horizontal axis to one side of said holder-body, theopposite side of said holder-body being provided with an upwardlypresented shoulder above which the adjacent end of theretainerisengageable, said retainer having intermediate its ends va laterallyand upwardly offset -portion adapted to lbear resiliently against ra canin the holder.

4. In a holder for sitter-top cans, `such holder having an open-bottomed'body adapted :to receive la sitter-'top can, and atop provided with :acentral opening to expose the sifter holes in the sifter-top can, aunitary retaining member vformed throughout of resilient material for`holding the can upwardly against the holdertop,:said holder-body havingnear its lower end'prorvisions engaging the ends of saidretainer toretain it in position extending across the open bottom 10i Atheholder-body, at .least-one end of said retainer being disengageable romits `associated provisions to permit displacement of the retainer, 'saidretainer having intermediate its ends a laterally and upwardly offsetlportion 'adapted to bear resiliently vagainst a can in the holder.

5. In a holder for sitter-top cans, such holder having an open-bottomedVbody adapted 'to receive a siiter-top can, and la top provided with u acentral opening to expose the sifterholes in the sitter-top can, aunitary retaining member formed throughout of Vresilient material fforiholding the can upwardly against the holder top,'said retaining memberextending facross'the open Lbottom of said 'holder-body, rone .endofsaid retaining member being pivotally connected on a horizontal axisto one side of 'said holder-body, .the

opposite 4side of said holder-:body being providedV with anupwardly-presented shoulder abovewhich ie adjacent end of the retaineris sengageable.

BERTIS F. HAMILTON. EARL F. HAMILTON. WILLIAM 1S. HAMILTON. CLARENCE O.HAMILTON.

